Cited by 396Protein Degradation and InhibitorsHeterocyclic Compound Synthesis and BioactivityGenomics and Chromatin Dynamics

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 59 of the 59 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Covalent targeting of remote cysteine residues to develop CDK12 and CDK13 inhibitors

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Abstract

Cyclin-dependent kinases 12 and 13 (CDK12 and 13) play critical roles in the regulation of gene transcription. However, the absence of CDK12 and 13 inhibitors has hindered the ability to investigate the consequences of their inhibition in healthy cells and cancer cells. Here we describe the rational design of a first-in-class CDK12 and 13 covalent inhibitor, THZ531. Co-crystallization with CDK12-cyclin K indicates that THZ531 irreversibly targets a cysteine located outside the kinase domain. THZ531 causes a loss of gene expression with concurrent loss of elongating and hyperphosphorylated RNA polymerase II. In particular, THZ531 substantially decreases the expression of DNA damage response genes and key super–enhancer–associated transcription factor genes. Coincident with transcriptional perturbation, THZ531 dramatically induced apoptotic cell death. Small molecules capable of specifically targeting CDK12 and 13 may thus help identify cancer subtypes that are particularly dependent on their kinase activities.

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Metadata

Authors
Zhang, T., Kwiatkowski, N., Olson, C. M., Dixon-Clarke, S. E., Abraham, B. J., Greifenberg, A. K., Ficarro, S. B., Elkins, J. M., Liang, Y., Hannett, N. M., Manz, T., Hao, M., Bartkowiak, B., Greenleaf, A. L., Marto, J. A., Geyer, M., Bullock, A. N., Young, R. A., & Gray, N. S.
Affiliations
  • Harvard University (US)
  • University of Oxford (GB)
  • Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research (US)
  • University of Bonn (DE)
  • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (US)
  • Duke Medical Center (US)
Corresponding author
  • Young, Richard A
  • Gray, Nathanael S
Venue
Nature Chemical Biology
Published
2016-08-29
Volume
12
Issue
10
Pages
876-884
ISSN
  • 1552-4450 (ISSN-L)
  • 1552-4469
OpenAlex
W2512442926
Cited by
374
References
59
Citations by year
2026: 39 · 2025: 35 · 2024: 50 · 2023: 44 · 2022: 40 · 2021: 49 · 2020: 38 · 2019: 27 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 4
FWCI
13.69
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Chemical Biology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • DSpace@MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • Max Planck Digital Library (submittedVersion)
  • MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
  • PMC
Funders
  • Eli Lilly and Company
  • Pfizer
  • GlaxoSmithKline
  • Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center
  • Genome Canada (OGI-055)
  • Wellcome Trust (106169/Z/14/Z, 092809, 106169, 092809/Z/10/Z, 1097737)
  • Diamond Light Source (mx8421, 1097737)
  • Ontario Genomics
  • Hope Funds for Cancer Research
  • Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Ontario Genomics Institute (OGI-055, 092809/Z/10/Z)
  • Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation (092809/Z/10/Z)
  • Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (GE 976/9-1)
  • Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico
  • National Institutes of Health (CA109901, CA179483)
  • Medical Research Council
  • National Human Genome Research Institute (R01HG002668)
  • National Cancer Institute (R01CA179483, P01CA109901, P30CA014051)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Protein Degradation and Inhibitors
  • Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Organic Chemistry › Heterocyclic Compound Synthesis and Bioactivity
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics
Keywords
CDK12, CDK13, covalent inhibitors, cyclin K, RNA polymerase II processivity, super-enhancers, DNA damage response genes, transcription factor expression, apoptosis, kinase inhibitors
MeSH terms
Anilides, Cysteine, DNA Damage, Humans, Pyrimidines, CDC2 Protein Kinase, Cell Death, Cyclin-Dependent Kinases, Protein Kinase Inhibitors

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